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Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

Originally Posted by talloulou

I'm most greatly influenced by Maxine Waters. Whenever she's on tv the one thing I know for sure is whatever she is I can't be. And she's been around forever.

This is actually a much better answer than my earlier one. Ever since I can remember, I've agreed with probably as many Democratic policies as I have Republican. It's honestly just been my experience with Democratic politicians, faculty and friends that has really driven home the point that I want nothing to do with that party. The ideals? Not so bad.

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

Originally Posted by RightinNYC

This is actually a much better answer than my earlier one. Ever since I can remember, I've agreed with probably as many Democratic policies as I have Republican. It's honestly just been my experience with Democratic politicians, faculty and friends that has really driven home the point that I want nothing to do with that party. The ideals? Not so bad.

Yeah it's more a case of fleeing certain types vs any hardcore embracing of conservatism.

Anyway the first four are not strictly Conservative thinkers, well maybe Smith in some ways, allow they could be called rightwing in some ways of looking at thing. The latter two would be hard to be to call even rightwing.

"It is written in the eternal constitution that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." - Edmund Burke

Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

Well, that's the problem, isn't it? There's no consistent definition of "conservative" or even "right-wing." (Except when liberals use it to describe whoever the bad guy in any situation is, like the "conservative" and "right-wing" Communists who staged a brief coup against Gorbachev in 1991.)

I choose them because they're individualists and limited-government types, which is what conservatism is to me -- the Anglo-Scottish Enlightenment. That's what "conversatism" is in the American sense. Not the same in the European sense, certainly.

“There's a level of admiration I actually have for China. Their basic dictatorship is allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.”-- Justin Trudeau

Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

Originally Posted by Harshaw

Well, that's the problem, isn't it? There's no consistent definition of "conservative" or even "right-wing." (Except when liberals use it to describe whoever the bad guy in any situation is, like the "conservative" and "right-wing" Communists who staged a brief coup against Gorbachev in 1991.)

I choose them because they're individualists and limited-government types, which is what conservatism is to me -- the Anglo-Scottish Enlightenment. That's what "conversatism" is in the American sense. Not the same in the European sense, certainly.

Well Conservatism can be summed up in the Burkean sense if not too precisely. It differs between the Continental European and the Anglo-American sense, with the latter being more influenced by classical liberalism, but they both have a core of ideas and I don't think even the Anglo-American sense could be said to be individualist particularly in the vein of Thoreau. The social nature of man and the importance of intermediate associations has always been a key plank of Conservatism.

"It is written in the eternal constitution that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." - Edmund Burke

Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

Actually, one of the criticisms liberals over here like to make against conservatives is that they're supposedly "every man for himself."

American conservatives like individualism. Most would find themselves quite at home reading "Self-Reliance."

American and British Conservatism have their differences but they are still similar enough to be categorised as Anglo-American Conservatism. And despite the influence of classical liberalism and some modest individualism Anglo-American Conservatism can certainly not be said to be individualist.

Conservatism revolves around the social and associational nature of man to a great degree. One of the eternal ideas in Conservatism is the need for stable, hierarchical social relationships and associations and the effect that atomistic individualism can have on said social relationships, particularly in strengthening the political state through weakening men and removing the functions of those vital organisations like family, community and church which stand between the individual and the state. Self-reliance means little to a Conservative who always remembers how much men need social associations, social belief systems and "the great bank of the capital of the wisdom of ages and nations" that is tradition because individually he is weak with his limited individual faculties and reason.

The individualism of Thoreau and Emerson, despite how much I like it and have been influenced by it, cannot be said to be very Conservative at all. It is classicalo liberal to the core, revolving around men who are self-sufficient and autonomous and who have little need for social relationships, tradition and the like.

Last edited by Wessexman; 02-05-09 at 09:46 PM.

"It is written in the eternal constitution that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." - Edmund Burke

Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

I don’t listen to the listed, I rather think. Sometimes I listen to liberals and get a lot more info about liberals then I get from the listed, - each time when they open their mouth liberals and democrats demonstrate their hatred a lot more convincing than Rush when he opens his mouth to demonstrate their hatred.

But on other hand I am not a conservative, I am known as a neocon – the name liberals use to scare children with when children try to act as children and refuse to act as democrats.

Re: Interesting question for Conservatives/rightwingers.

Originally Posted by Wessexman

Conservatism revolves around the social and associational nature of man to a great degree. One of the eternal ideas in Conservatism is the need for stable, hierarchical social relationships and associations and the effect that atomistic individualism can have on said social relationships, particularly in strengthening the political state through weakening men and removing the functions of those vital organisations like family, community and church which stand between the individual and the state. Self-reliance means little to a Conservative who always remembers how much men need social associations, social belief systems and "the great bank of the capital of the wisdom of ages and nations" that is tradition because individually he is weak with his limited individual faculties and reason.

The individualism of Thoreau and Emerson, despite how much I like it and have been influenced by it, cannot be said to be very Conservative at all. It is classicalo liberal to the core, revolving around men who are self-sufficient and autonomous and who have little need for social relationships, tradition and the like.

You may be describing British conservatism, but that's not the core of American conservatism. At best, it describes facets of the Neo-Conservative movement, and I use that in its true form, not the bastardization of it proffered by rabid opponents of Bush. Neo-Conservatives are former Marxists who never lost their affinity for big government.

But that's not what the core of American conservatism is. The core of American conservatism is classical liberalism. I mean, I attend the meetings and read the literature. I know what we think.

“There's a level of admiration I actually have for China. Their basic dictatorship is allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.”-- Justin Trudeau